Noticias

The 18th Asian Film Awards recognized achievements in regional cinema on Sunday, with Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light winning Best Film. The ceremony, held at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong, brought together filmmakers from across Asia to celebrate accomplishments in directing, acting, and technical contributions.

Kapadia’s drama, which previously earned the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, marked a milestone for Indian cinema, a country that has often been nominated at the AFAs without securing major wins. On stage, Kapadia credited her lead actors for shaping the film’s impact. “Thank you so much to my lead actors—three incredible artists and human beings. They are the ones who made this film what it is,” she said.

The Best Director award went to Japan’s Yoshida Daihachi for Teki Cometh, a character study that premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival before...

Payal Kapadia’s Indian co-production “All We Imagine as Light” won best film at the 18th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong, capping a remarkable journey that began with a Grand Prix win at Cannes last year.

Yoshida Daihachi won best director for “Teki Cometh,” while Sean Lau won best actor for “Papa” and Shahana Goswami best actress for “Santosh.” Sandhya Suri won best new director for “Santosh,” capping a strong year for Indian co-productions at the awards, where the country has been a bridesmaid in recent years.

Honors were evenly spread otherwise, with “Exhuma,” “Stranger Eyes” and “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” all collecting a brace of awards each.

Proceedings kicked off with a performance featuring the composer of the film that is the toast of Asia at the moment – “Ne Zha 2,” Chu Wan Pin, alongside Jonathan Wong.

During the awards, Dr. Wilfred Wong, chair of the Asian Film Awards Academy,...

Hong Kong – Two widely recognized actors, Tang Wei and Jang Dong-gun, will be honored with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award at the 18th Asian Film Awards on March 16. The event, hosted at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, highlights performers and filmmakers who have made a lasting impact on the industry.

Jang, a Korean actor with more than three decades in the spotlight, expressed his appreciation for the recognition. “It is a tremendous honor to receive this award, and I sincerely thank the Asian Film Awards for this recognition. Having my three-decade acting career acknowledged is deeply meaningful and inspires me to keep going,” he said.

His career began in 1992 with the television drama Son and Daughter, and his rise to stardom came shortly after with The Last Match. His performance in Friend (2001) helped define the gangster film genre in South Korea, while Tae...

The 18th Asian Film Awards (Afa) proudly announces Wu Kangren as the recipient of the prestigious Afa Next Generation Award. This distinguished honor recognizes Asian filmmakers who consistently challenge themselves, push creative boundaries, and redefine the cinematic landscape.

Wu Kangren will attend the Asian Film Awards Ceremony on March 16, 2025, at the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong, to receive the award. Expressing his gratitude, Wu shared, “I am truly honored to receive this award. It serves as an important recognition of my work, and I look forward to embracing new challenges and delivering even more compelling performances to audiences.”

A Trailblazer in Acting: Wu Kangren’s Expanding Horizons

Having worked across multiple film industries in Asia, Wu Kangren has gained profound insight into the nuances of filmmaking across different cultures. Reflecting on his journey, he remarked, “Each region has its own distinct storytelling traditions and cinematic techniques,...

Hong Kong International Film Festival Society has announced the 25 in-development projects selected for this year’s Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf). The line-up includes several projects produced by high-profile filmmakers, including Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, India’s Aditya Vikram Sengupta and French producer and writer Sylvie Pialat.

Kore-eda is producing Yellow, the feature debut of Yamaura Miyoh, about a man who lives a life of self-punishment after a fatal car accident. Sengupta is producing Niladri Mukherjee’s debut Republic Of Mahalaxmi Apartment, which examines India’s majority rule issues through a single-mother tenant who becomes her housing estate’s public enemy when she flags a malfunctioning elevator.

Pialat (Les Miserables) is teaming with Chinese producer Nai An on Hu Wei’s feature debut, 49 Days, about a divorced Chinese couple who reunite in Paris to arrange their son’s funeral and confront their past.

The Asian World Film Festival announced its winners Nov. 21 at an awards ceremony at the Culver Theater hosted by Kyrgyz director and actress Elnura Osmanalieva and TV host, filmmaker and actor Mico Saad.

Crime drama “Abang Adik” (Malaysia), directed by Jin Ong, took home the Snow Leopard Award for best film, while the film’s star Wu Kang-ren won the Snow Leopard best actor trophy. Best actress went to Diamond Bou Abboud for the social dramedy “Arze” (Lebanon), directed by Mira Shaib.

The Special Jury Prize went to family drama “In the Arms of the Tree” (Iran) directed by Babak Khajeh Pasha. The Snow Leopard Panavision Award for cinematography was awarded to cinematographer Zhanrbek Yeleubek for Kazakhstan coming-of-age drama “Bauryna Salu.” The award comes with a $45,000 Panavision Camera Package Grant. “The Glassworker,” Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film and directed by Usman Riaz, won the Audience Award.

Writer, director and...

“Abang Adik” – a simple Malay phrase meaning “older brother, younger brother” – emerges as a striking cinematic testament to human persistence and identity. Crafted by Jin Ong, a distinguished producer making his directorial debut, the film goes beyond standard storytelling to become a profound investigation of statelessness and brotherhood in modern Malaysia.

This extraordinary film, released in December 2023, swiftly established itself locally and internationally. More than just a movie, “Abang Adik” is a riveting social narrative about the terrible reality that undocumented people suffer in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant cultures. Ong’s change from producer to filmmaker brings a nuanced understanding of social intricacies, transforming a potentially depressing subject into a genuinely human story.

The film’s value goes beyond entertainment. It provides a critical prism through which to examine the invisible populations living on society’s periphery—people who exist but are not acknowledged by official authorities.

A deeply moving humanist drama with potent social and political undercurrents, “Abang Adik” charts the hardships faced by two orphaned Malaysian brothers who have no legal identity in the country of their birth. The mightily impressive first feature written and directed by renowned producer Jin Ong will move many viewers to tears as the brothers’ struggles within the large community of stateless Malaysians and undocumented migrant workers in Kuala Lumpur spiral toward tragedy.

Featuring standout lead performances by Taiwanese actor Wu Kang-ren and local star Jack Tan, “Abang Adik” has proved a commercial and critical hit since releasing locally in December 2023 and on Netflix in mid-2024. A significant achievement in Malaysian social realist cinema and winner of numerous awards at regional and international film festivals including Udine Far East, New York Asian and Taipei Golden Horse, it marks a standout among this year’s crop of Oscar international feature film contenders.

Kicking off Nov. 13, the Asian World Film Festival sports features from 27 countries with its main competition screening 16 films submitted for the international feature Oscar. The festival runs through Nov. 21 at the Culver Theater in Culver City, celebrating its 10th anniversary. More than 30 of the screenings will include Q&As with the filmmakers, talent and crew.

“We are very grateful to the filmmakers around the world supporting this year’s lineup with more than 60 narrative and documentary films,” says Georges N. Chamchoum, Awff executive director, said. “The Awff continues to open the window to the region of Asia as well to showcase Asian-American talent through our range of programs. I am amazed at the depth and breadth of the work on the Awff schedule this year.”

The festival opens with South Korean drama “A Normal Family” and closes with Filipino romantic drama “Hello, Love, Again.” The Centerpiece film is Wong Kar-wai...

Following a 2023 that definitely belonged to Malaysia, with titles like “Tiger Stripes“, “Abang Adik”, “La Luna” and a number of others, it seems that 2024 belongs to another Asean country, Indonesia. For us that we have been following local cinema for some years, this does not come as a surprise, since the stories were already there and it seemed that the industry just needed some nurturing in order to fully bloom. Following investment by Cj, it was when streamers and particularly Netflix started investing in local content, that the leap that was bound to happen finally became reality. Headed by Joko Anwar, Kamila Andini, Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto and a number of others, local cinema seems to be in good hands, as the movies in the following list eloquently highlight. At the same time, the same can be said about the actors, with names like Laura Basuki, Shenina Cinnamon, Yusuf Mahardika,...

Singapore: “La Luna”

“La Luna”, directed by M Raihan Halim, has been picked to represent Singapore in the best international feature film category at the Oscars. The Singapore-Malaysia co-production is a Malay-language comedy about a woman who opens a lingerie shop in a conservative Malaysian village.

The film had its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival last November in the Asian Future Section and participated at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival. It was also the closing title at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and played in Shanghai earlier this year.

Produced by Singaporean firms Clover Films and Papahan Films, in association with Malaysia’s Act 2 Pictures and One Cool Film, the film stars Shaheizy Sam, Sharifah Amani, Wan Hanafi Su and Hisyam Hamid. It was released in Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian cinemas in November last year.

“La Luna” is M Raihan Halim’s second feature directing effort,...

Taiwanese sales company Applause Entertainment is launching sales of fantasy romance Measure In Love, starring Angela Yuen and Hsu Kuang-Han and produced by Sylvia Chang.

The romantic fantasy is set for release in 2025 and marks the directorial feature debut of Hong Kong’s Kung Siu Ping, a seasoned assistant director whose credits include Overheard 2 and 3, and Chang-directed Love Education.

Measure In Love was shot entirely in Hong Kong — in both Cantonese and Mandarin language — with a cast led by local rising star Yuen (The Narrow Road) and Hsu (Taiwanese blockbuster Marry My Dead Body). The love story transcends...

German drama film “Every You Every Me” (aka “Alle Die Du Bist”) was Saturday named best film winner at the 7th edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest). The festival’s prizes are known as the Golden Global Awards.

Directed by Michael Fetter Nathansky, the film about a woman trying to reconnect with her partner in a failing relationship, had its world premiere in February at the Berlinale. At Miffest, the film additionally earned the best actress award for Aenne Schwarz and saw Nathansky also pick up the best screenplay award.

The film, “boldly confronts the real-life challenges faced by the working class, particularly the struggles associated with monetary deficits [and] skillfully transforms these harsh realities into cinematic excellence,” said a jury statement.

Every You Every Me

Best director honors went to the duo of Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli for their film “In the Land of Brothers.” About three...

Michael Fetter Nathansky’s Every You Every Me scooped three prizes including best film at the 7th Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) while Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and renowned Indonesian actress Christine Hakim received lifetime achievement awards.

German director Nathansky came on stage to receive the awards for best film and best screenplay and his leading lady Aenne Schwarz was in attendance to collect the best actress award. The romantic social drama, which premiered in the Panorama section of this year’s Berlinale, follows a single mother and factory worker as she falls in and out of love.

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Maximum secrecy – including an omerta about the cast – was observed during the filming of “The Chronicles of Libidoists,” a Taiwanese film fable that is pitched as a modern-day retelling of “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale.

A work-in-progress teaser in Cannes, however, disclosed that major Taiwan star Wu Kang-ren was the protagonist of the production which, now completed, seems certain to challenge censors worldwide.

With the film poised for imminent commercial release in Taiwan and a series of autumn festival play dates being lined up, it is easy to see why the cloak of anonymity was required. The other main players are Liu Chu-ping, Alisia Liang and Will Or.

In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 19th century telling, “The Little Mermaid” was a tale of an impossible romance between a mermaid and a prince, involving love, betrayal, death and resurrection. Metaphors and allegorical meanings were plentiful.

In the hands of Yang Ya-che,...

Malaysia Festival Selections

The Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which runs July 21-28, will open with horror film “Indera” by local director Woo Ming Jin and starring Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O’ My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

The festival’s nine films in competition include: “Abang Adik” by Jin Ong; “Betania” by Marcelo Botta; “Every You Every Me” by Michael Fetter Nathansky, a critical exploration of personal identity and a highlight of German cinema; Afghan refugee tale “In the Land of Brothers” by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli; “Rapture” by Dominic Sangma, set in a mystically charged village and exploring oppressive themes through a child’s perspective; “Sujo” by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, a gritty tale of youth amidst cartel violence; “The Editorial Office” by Roman Bondarchuk, a satirical take on...

Malaysian director Woo Ming Jin’s local horror Indera will open the Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which will be closed by two Hong Kong features, Ho Miu Ki’s Love Lies and Nick Cheung’s Peg O’ My Heart.

The 7th edition of Miffest will take place in Malaysia’s capital of Kuala Lumpur from July 21-28. It will pay tribute to Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and celebrated Indonesian actress Christine Hakim with lifetime achievement awards, as well as honour Hong Kong actor-director Cheung with an award for excellent achievement in film.

In a press conference held yesterday (June...

Cinema Icons Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim to be Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards

Kuala Lumpur, 24 June — The Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) has announced its programme lineup for the much-anticipated 7th edition, set to transform Kuala Lumpur into a cinematic paradise from 21-28 July 2024. With an exceptional array of films, MIFFest continues to celebrate the spirit of both Malaysian and international cinema.

Opening and Closing Nights

This year's festival will kick off with the spine-tingling Malaysian horror film “Indera” by acclaimed director Woo Ming Jin, featuring the talented Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude on a high note with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O' My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

Honouring Cinema Masters Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim

At the pinnacle of this year's festival, MIFFest proudly confers its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Awards upon two cinematic titans: Hirokazu Kore-eda...

“”Abang Adik”: A Powerful Neo-realistic Movie on Netflix” is a Malaysian movie written and directed by Lay Jin Ong starring Kang Ren Wu, Jack Tan and Serene Lim.

“”Abang Adik”: A Powerful Neo-realistic Movie on Netflix” – a neo-realistic film with a gripping narrative about two brothers fighting for survival in contemporary Malaysia, is now streaming on Netflix. An emotive story that resonates with truth and authenticity, it is set to be available for viewing starting this Friday.

Endorsed by a slew of international awards, this debut film from the celebrated Lay Jin Ong unfolds the stark realities of Malaysia. The movie stands as a testament to cinema’s potential power to manifest inequality, despair, and injustice. It shines a light on these harsh realities through the lives of the two protagonist brothers pushed to the edge of a hopeless life.

“”Abang Adik”: A Powerful Neo-realistic Movie on...

“Golden Horse Goes to Cannes” is looking to make a splash on the Croisette, marking a collaboration with the festival’s Marché du Film that aims to showcase the “diversity, vigor and bold competence of Taiwan cinema, ranging from epic, romance, comedy, fantasy and gender awareness.”

The reality of that promise, for those on the ground in France, will be the presentation on May 16 of five projects featuring the leading lights of contemporary Taiwanese cinema. They’ve been selected by the Golden Horse organization, the people behind Taiwan’s famed annual festival and awards night, to showcase the strength in depth boasted by a market that has always punched above its weight in terms of talent.

New works from directors Chen Yu-hsun, Yang Ya-che, Huang Xi, Giddens Ko, and John Hsu will be on show, and they feature some of the island’s biggest stars, among them Sylvia Chang, who...

The feature “Tales of Taipei” is a tribute to the low-pressure, culturally rich city, which has been shaped by its regional neighbors, taken in diverse peoples and distilled the multiple competing influences into a messy, happy-go-lucky morass.

Produced by Bowie Tsang and Amy Ma, the film calls on 10 directors hailing from Malaysia, France, Bhutan and Hong Kong, and Taiwanese locals Yin Cheng-han and Remii Huang to contribute.

“Everything is possible in Taiwan, everything exits side by side,” says Tsang, who was born in Hong Kong. “We have old Chinese myths. We believe in the afterlife. Churches exist side by side with temples. We are still trying to figure out how to tell our stories.”

As in the film, juxtapositions exist throughout the Taiwan film industry. Theatrical B.O. improved last year, but from a low 2022 base. Last year, Taiwan productions increased market share from 10% to nearly 16%, helping to lift the...

Paramount Plus

Beverley McGarvey has been appointed president of Network 10, head of streaming and regional lead for Australia and New Zealand, with immediate effect by Paramount Global. She reports to Pam Kaufman, president & CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences at the group. The role gives her oversight of Network 10 and its portfolio of brands, including 10 Play.

McGarvey will maintain her current responsibilities, overseeing all original content out of Australia in alignment with Paramount’s global studio organisation and the businesses’ commercial capabilities. She will also continue to lead Paramount+ in Australia, reporting to Marco Nobili, EVP and international Gm of Paramount+.

“Beverley is one of Australia’s leading media executives and has a proven track record of driving creative and commercial success in one of our most important, priority markets,” said Kaufman.

“We are well-positioned to maintain our strong position in Australia as the only...

Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s formalist arthouse drama Evil Does Not Exist won the best film prize Sunday night at the Asia Film Awards in Hong Kong.

The Japanese film industry had a big night overall at the 17th edition of the awards ceremony, which was hosted this year in Hong Kong’s gleaming new Xiqu Centre, part of the city’s $2.7 billion West Kowloon Cultural District development. Japanese festival favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director for his mystery drama Monster, while the great Koji Yakusho took best actor for Wim Wender’s moving minimalist drama Perfect Days. Hamaguchi’s chief collaborator on Evil Does Not Exist, Eiko Ishibashi, won best music and the Kaiju critical and commercial sensation Godzilla Minus One claimed both best visual effects and best sound.

In many ways, it was Zhang Yimou’s night, however. The venerated Chinese director took the stage twice, once to...

Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” was Sunday evening named as the best picture at the Asian Film Awards.

The 17th edition of the prizes was held at the Xiqu Centre, part of the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.

While “Evil Does Not Exist” and Korean blockbuster “12.12: The Day” had dominated the nominations with six each, including those in the best film category, the prizes on Sunday were much more evenly distributed. No title collected more than two prizes.

Outside, crowds failed to be muted by the March drizzle, though VIP guests were given escorts with purple umbrellas.

Filmmaker and industry attendance was also robust. Those spotted on the red carpet and pre-event cocktails included: Lee Yong Kwan (former chair of the Busan film festival), Tom Yoda, Udine festival heads Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, Anthony Chen, Stanley Kwan, Rina Damayanti, Hong Kong distributor Winnie Tsang,...

“In Broad Daylight,” an expose of real events in a care home for the elderly, dominated the nominations for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The Lawrence Kan-directed comedy-drama received 16 nominations, at the Tuesday nominations event, including best picture and best new director as well as others for cinematography, editing sound design and original song.

The story sees an investigative reporter go under cover to expose cruelty and other wrong-doings at the Rainbow Bridge Care Home. It premiered last year at the Shanghai film festival and was a highlight of the New York Asian Film Festival, but came away empty-handed from the Golden Horse Film Awards, where it had been nominated in five categories. It enjoyed its commercial release in Hong Kong in November.

Other contenders in the Hkfa best film category are: Nick Cheung’s “Time Still Turns the Pages,” Soi Cheang’s “Mad Fate,” Felix Chong’s “The Goldfinger...

Jin Ong worked for 20 years as a talent manager, then set up his own production house, Moore Entertainment, which produced many important Malaysian films, e.g. “Shuttle Life” (2017), the first Malaysian movie nominated for the Golden Horse Awards. “Abang Adik”, a touching social drama, is his feature debut, which won the hearts of both audiences and juries during Festivals in Fribourg, New York, and Udine. It also made it into the top 10 of our “The 30 Best Asian Movies of 2023” list. We met the first-time director at the Five Flavours Film Festivals to discuss his movie, diving into complex social issues of Malaysia, but also reflected about goodness and the love for humanity.

I wonder what is your relation with Kuala Lumpur and why you wanted to portray the city. Its image in the movie is fascinating, full of life, vibrant, and diverse.

I wasn't born in Kuala Lumpur. I come from the north.

The film is out of the running due to a “conflict of interest” among the selection committee.

The producer of Hong Kong film A Light Never Goes Out has spoken out following the disqualification of the feature from the 2024 Oscars race.

The drama was submitted by the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong for the international feature film category of the 96th Academy Awards in September. But when the Academy revealed the list of eligible titles last Thursday, A Light Never Goes Out was not included and the Federation is trying to figure out why.

Despite the outcome,...

The drama ranks as the biggest Malaysian film of all time in Taiwan.

Malaysian drama Abang Adik has become a surprise hit at the Taiwanese box office, recording a 17% increase in its second weekend after a record-breaking opening.

The release is an exceptionally rare Malaysian success in Taiwan, boosted by the recent best actor win for Wu Kang-ren at the Golden Horse Awards last month.

The feature has already become the biggest Malaysian film of all time in Taiwan from its debut weekend (December 1-3), making Nt$13.82m – excluding the premiere and preview screenings. It toppled Ridley Scott’s Napoleon...

Okinawa Festival Prizes

Taiwanese feature “The Mimicry” was named best picture at the first edition of the Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival. The festival ran Nov. 23-29 in Okinawa, Japan.

The fantasy-drama film is adapted from a short story by Kao Yi-Feng and directed by Chung Yu Lin. “The film employs a magical yet realistic style, vividly portraying apartment stories by utilizing anthropomorphic techniques that mirror the protagonist’s observations,” said a jury headed by Iran’s Amir Naderi.

The festival’s biggest winner was “Abang Adik,” directed by Malaysia’s Jin Ong, which collected three prizes. It won the audience award, the jury award, and the best leading performance award, which went to actor Wu Kang-Ran. (Wu won the same prize last weekend at the Golden Horse Film Awards.)

The American documentary “One With the Whale,” directed by Jim Wickens and Pete Chelkowski, also received a jury award.

The husband and wife team of Otsuka Ryuji and Huang Ji, who worked with a minimalist crew and mostly non-professional actors, gave a round of thanks to Asian leading auteurs for inspiring them, and then hugged each other on stage for winning the Taipei Golden Horse Film Awards best narrative feature prize with their pregnancy drama “Stonewalling.”

The numerical winner on Saturday night was “Old Fox,” which earned the best director award for Hsiao Ya-chuan, as well as the best supporting actor, makeup and costume, and best film score prizes.

The nominations, announced in October, saw “Snow in Midsummer” collect nine nominations and Taiwan’s Oscar contender “Marry My Dead Body” head the field with eight. They were narrowly ahead of a further cluster of films with seven nominations each, including “Abang Adik,” “Old Fox,” “Trouble Girl” and “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon.”

On the evening, “Marry My Dead Body...

China-set drama Stonewalling, co-directed by husband-and-wife team Ryuji Otsuka and Huang Ji, won best narrative feature at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, which is celebrating its 60th edition this year.

The film, which premiered in Venice and won best film at Hong Kong film festival’s Young Cinema Competition, follows a young woman in mainland China grappling with issues around career, relationships, health and fertility. It also won best editing, which was shared by Otsuka and Taiwan’s Liao Ching-sung, with the latter winning his first Golden Horse award after 12 nominations stretching back four decades.

The awards were evenly spread among the nominated films. Taiwan’s Wu Kang-ren won best leading actor for his role as a deaf-mute in Malaysian drama Abang Adik. Best actress went to 12-year-old Audrey Lin for her role in Trouble Girl, making her the youngest ever best actress winner at the Golden Horse awards.

Best...

“Auto-bio Pamphlet,” a Marathi-language film that is both a love story and a rage against class divisions, will open the 18th edition of the Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival later this month. The festival will close with the world premiere of spy thriller “13 Bombs in Jakarta.”

Jaff run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.

Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.

“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, Jaff program director. The film had...

t is always a great joy to host the artists who are behind the making of the films that are in the festival line-up. It's an opportunity to confront the feelings and emotions and to deepen the contexts of what's happening on the screen. This year Five Flavours will be visited by artists from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. Come and meet them!

The Guests of the 17. Five Flavours Chihiro Ito

Director, novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and set designer. Before directing her feature debut “In Her Room” in 2022, she worked as a script writer. “In Her Room” (screened at the prestigious Film Lincoln Center in New York City) is an adaptation of Ito's book. In her work, Ito explores the relationships between people and the environment, the material and the non-material.

More about Side by Side

More about “in her room”

Makbul Mubarak

Makbul Mubarak started as a film critic.

Inaugural slate includes ‘Be With Me’ and ‘Abang Adik’.

Taiwanese distributor Applause Entertainment Taiwan is moving into sales and will make its market debut in Cannes, with Hou Hsiao-Hsien-produced Be With Me and Lee Sinje-produced award-winning Malaysian film Abang Adik on its inaugural slate.

Be With Me is directed by Hou’s long-time collaborator Hwarng Wern-Ying, who won the Golden Horse Awards for best art director and best makeup and costume design for Flowers Of Shanghai and The Assassin respectively. She also worked as a supervising art director on Martin Scorsese’s Silence, which shot in Taiwan.

Starring Ariel Lin,...

Malaysian first-time director and former music and film producer Jin Ong was the superstar of the closing ceremony of Udine Far East Film Festival 25, last week, bagging three Mulberry Awards and a standing ovation from an overexcited audience, with his social relevant film “Abang Adik”. The film won the Audience Award, the Best First Film Award, and the best Screenplay Award; an additional ideal award could be added to the lot, as “Abang Adik” was also the first Malaysian film ever awarded at Feff.

“Abang Adik” screened at Udine Far East Film Festival

The post-pandemic trend of reflecting about family bonds, makeshift families, broken families, and their relevance in our lives has undoubtedly flavoured this year's line-up at Udine Far East Film Festival and “Abang Adik” is no exception. The film follows the lives of two young men, Abang (Wu Kang-Ren) and his brother (or is it him?) Adi (Jack Tan), in Pudu Pasar,...

Malaysian social drama “Abang Adik” was named best film and winner of the Golden Mulberry prize on Sunday at the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine.

The film is a story of two undocumented and orphaned men, who may or may not be real brothers, but who lift each other up. The film’s director Jin Ong collected the White Mulberry prize for best debut feature and “Abang Adik” added a third prize decided by the festival’s season pass holders.

Second place on the podium went to South Korea with Chang Hang-jun’s “Rebound,” while third place went to “Yudo,” by Japan’s Suzuki Masayuki.

Other prizes included a Mulberry for best screenplay which went to “Day Off” by Taiwanese director Fu Tien-Yu and the prize from the readers of MYmovieswhich went to Janchivdorj Sengedorj’s Mongolian comedy “The Sales Girl.”

The previously-announced Golden Mulberry lifetime achievement...

The pioneering Far East Film Festival (Feff), held annually in the picturesque Northern Italian city of Udine, continued making history with its 25th-anniversary edition this year. At the closing ceremony on Sunday, Malaysian drama Abang Adik, written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Jin Ong, achieved a clean sweep of the highest prizes, marking the first time that a film from the Southeast Asian nation took top honors at the specialty festival.

Abang Adik won Feff’s first-place Golden Mulberry audience award, as well as the Black Dragon critics’ prize and the White Mulberry Award for best first feature. Ong is a veteran figure of the Malaysian entertainment industry, having worked in the music business and film and TV production for many years (he’s produced well-received films like Shuttle Life, 2017; and Miss Andy, 2020; among others), but Abang Adik is his first film as a writer and director. The movie...

The 25th edition of the prestigious Udine Far East Film Festival came to an end on Saturday night. After a totally digital edition in 2020, a hybrid edition in 2021, and a “semi-traditional” edition in 2022, this year the Festival has been able to joyfully re-savour its full length, interrupted (not to say broken) by the Covid-19 pandemic, and all the persistent health restrictions. An entirety demonstrated not only by the record numbers of the line-up, but also by the record number of guests of honour (200), finally free to travel and to reach the Udinese red carpet.

Looking already forward to the next edition, let's have a look at the winners of this year.

Mulberry Audience Awards

1st place: Abang Adik by Jin Ong

2nd place: Rebound by Chang Hang-jun

3rd place: Yudo by Masayuki Suzuki

Black Dragon Critics Award

Abang Adik by Jin Ong

White Mulberry Award for First Film

Abang Adik...